How To Get Kaia Gerber’s New Super Flattering Hair Colour That Debuted At Valentino Couture

It’s all about the ‘ribbon lights’ this season

by Sophie Bloomfield

Forget foils: the new and incredibly flattering way to think of highlights is all about the look that Kaia Gerber showcased as she opened the Valentino couture show last night.

Photo: Imaxtree

Devised by the colour maestro Josh Wood, this modern upgrade on highlights is anything but the fine streaks of blonde that we’ve seen of old. “I describe them a ‘ribbon lights’’ says Wood. “They are broad sweeps of chunky balayage which give a really, really natural beach kissing to the hair, mimicking the effect of it having been tied up in the sun so that the hairline and the ends are lifted.”

Best of all, adopting the look doesn’t require a radical overhaul to your hair colour. “You can continue to have your base colour and add the ribbons in as an accent to give it a lift,” adds Wood, who created the lights with Redken’s Colour Gels Lacquers colour due to their high-shine finish.

“Ribbon lights work on all hair that’s longer than bob; and if your hair is finer just add more contrast to give it a streakier look,” says Wood.

Photo: Getty Images

Whilst they work brilliantly on already-blonde hair to give a flash of brightness, Wood also points out that – as evidenced on Gerber, who is naturally a deep brown – they’re a great way to add a feeling of lightness into brunette hair: perfect for anyone wanting a summer lift without committing to the process of going blonde.